Window louvre



April 29, 1947.

.W. FAULKNER WINDOW LOUVRE Filed March 6, 1944 w nk-m:

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Patented Apr. 29. 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE H 2,419,635 I WINDOWLOUVRE I W aldron Faulkner, WashingtonpD. 0.

Application March 6, 1944, Serial No. 525,225

This invention relates to window closures of the type in which aplurality of pivoted slats extend across the window opening'and may bemoved to any one of a number of positions in order to vary the amount oflight passed through the opening.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a closure of thetype described in which'each slat may be individually moved to any oneof a number of positions and resiliently but releasably held in suchposition. In connection with this object, a further object is to provideseparate means for individually moving the slats, such means being sopositioned and arranged with respect to each other that any one or allof them may be rapidly and successively engaged by the hand or by apole. A further" object is to provide in the closure frame itself areceptacle for such a pole.

A still further object of the invention is to provide window slats ofthe type described which are so constructed and so" positioned withrespect to each other that whenall of them are-in closed position theyform asolid wall which excludes all light and which may be easilycleaned. In connection with this object, it is a further object to sosupport the slat assembly that it may beswung as a unit into or out ofthe window frame in order to permit cleaning of both sides of the slatsor to provide an entirely unobstructed window opening.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be madeapparent by the following description and the annexed drawings which, itwill be understood, are only illustrative of the invention and impose nolimitation thereon not imposed by the appended claim. 1

In the drawings forming part of this application, in which similarreference numerals refer to like parts,

Fig. 1 is an elevation view of a window closure according to myinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, partial view taken on the line Z--2 of Fig. 1 butshowing the slats in different positions;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, partial view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the upper lefthand part of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a slat and the attached operating anddetent means according to the invention.

This invention comprises a closure, for a Window or other opening which,as shown in the drawings, is formed by the spaced vertical window framemembers 2, 4 and the spaced upper 1 Claim. (01. 204:2)

shaft thereon.

and lower members 8, 8. The closure provided by the invention comprisesupper and lower frame members l0, l2 and side frame members 84, it whichdefine between them an opening 18, the passage of light through which iscontrolled by themeans provided by this invention. One of the side framemembers of the closure suchas member 46, may be connected to theadjacent side member 4 of the window frame by hinges '20 whereby theclosure frame may be swung to open, closed or intermediate position.Each of the closure frame members l0, l2, l4 and I6 is'preferably hollowand is formed of sheet metal bent to provide the proper and desiredcross-sectional shape as hereinafter described. I

Means are provided by the invention for varying the amount of lightpassing through the opening in the closure frame or through any selectedpart thereof. Such means comprise a plurality of slats til each of whichextends across'such opening between the side members of the closureframe. At one end each slat is provided with a pivot shaft 32 whichextends into one of the side frame members l6 and pivotally supports theAt its other end each slat is provided with a relatively elongated pivotshaft 3% which extends into the adjacent hollow side member l4 andpivotally supports the slat thereon. The slats are of such length that aslight space is left between each end thereof and the inner wall of theadjacent closure member, as shown at 38 in Fig. 3, and in order toprevent passage of light through such spaces the side members M, l6 ofthe closure frame are respectively provided with flanges 38, 40 whichextend over such spaces. These flanges are preferably part of the sheetmetal closure frame members, being bent from one edge of each of them.

The slats 30 are preferably of such transverse width that when in theirclosed, or vertical, position as shown in the upper part of Fig. 2, theadjacent edges of adjacent slats overlap to prevent the passage of lighttherebetween. In order to improve the light-stopping effect, thelongitudinal edge parts of the slats, throughout the parts thereof whichoverlap in the manner described, are inclined in preferably oppositedirections to the central flat part of the slat. Thus, the main bodyportion 42 of each slat is fiat, while one edge part 44 is inclined inone direction thereto and the other edge part 46 is inclined in theother direction thereto.

Means are provided by the invention for operating each slat about itspivot and for selectively and releasably holding each slat in apredetermined position. The operating means for each slat comprise anoperating arm 50 which is connected to the pivot shaft 34 of the slatand extends radially therefrom toward the inner wall of the closurewhereby it may be operated by anyone within the building. The inner endsof the operating arms 50 are positioned within the hollow side memberI4, which is formed to provide an elongated depression or groove 52therein which communicates with the interior of the frame member i4through a plurality of spaced openings 54 in its bottom wall 55. Eachoperating arm 50 extends through one of these openings 54 and has itsouter end positioned within the groove 52 whereby a vertical row of sucharms i presented to the inner face of the closure as shown in Figs. 1and 4. These may be selectively and separately operated by hand or by apole (not shown). In a preferred embodiment of the invention the sideframe member I6 of the closure is provided with an elongated groove 56within which such a pole may be hung when not in use.

Means are provided by the invention fo releasably holding each slat inany one of a plurality of different positions to which it may be movedabout its pivotal support. Such means comprises a detent device 60connected to each pivot shaft 34 preferably outwardly of the operatingarm 50 and within the hollow frame member- 14 The periphery of eachdetent 60 is formed to provide a plurality of substantially flat faces62, 64, 66 which are spaced radially from ;-the center of the pivotshaft and are preferably arranged as chords of a circle. A leaf spring18 is connected at its one end to the frame member l4 adjacent eachdetent and bears at its free end on the periphery of the detent 60,whereby the detent and the connected pivot shaft and slat are releasablyheld in any position but may be moved therefrom by rotating the shaftand the detent against the resilient force of the leaf spring. Asparticularly shown in Fig. 2, the different slats may be moved todifferent degrees of closure and each will be releasably held in the setposition by the detent device associated therewith and as describedhereinbefore.

It is believed that the mode of use and operation of my invention willbe apparent to those of vertically spaced slats extending horizontallyacross the opening in the frame and being individually pivoted at theirends by elongated pivot shafts in the side members, an elongated chamberwithin the hollow side member having an elongated opening in the frontwall thereof and being defined by parallel side walls and a rearwardlydisposed wall in which spaced openings "are formedwhich are respectivelyadjacent the skilled in the art and no detailed explanation Ielongatedpivot shafts which extend into. said chamber, an operating arm carriedby each of said pivot shafts and extending radially therefrom into saidchamber through one of the spaced opens in the rearwarclly disposed wallthereof, providing a continuous series of operating arms within thechamber for movement by an operating member and whereby the movement ofeacharm is' limited by the upper and lower edges of the respectiveopening through which the arm extends.

WALDRON. FAULKNER.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,202,417 Fleming May 28, 1940

